How to Tell Your Friends You're Dating a Changeling
by Infinite Carnage
Summary: Rainbow Dash is many things. Mainly awesome. But romantic, certainly not. Of all the ponies who would attempt a forbidden romance, nopony would have thought she would. Now she finds herself head over hooves in love with a mortal enemy of the country. On top of that, she has to face the one group of ponies she's terrified of rejecting her new found romance: her best friends.
1. Prologue

**Due to a few requests, I have decided to upload this story on this site too. For those of you who have not read this before, below is how the story got created.**

**Note: This story was created as a prompt from the RD Random Shipping Game. The game required you to roll a dice and depending on the number, you would write a 100-500 word ship with a corresponding character. I got number 13 which was a male Changeling. The rest of the story after this prologue is a continuation from the game. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

"Hey, you awake?"

Rainbow grumbled in annoyance as her eyes fluttered open. Her eyelids still felt heavy, but her natural stubbornness pushed her to open them and face the new day. Next to her was a black figure with a satisfied grin on his face. Rainbow poked out her tongue at him and tried to roll the other way.

"Ugh, five more minutes, alright? Don't changelings get tired?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing about ponies. Judging by last night's performance, you rarely do." She lightly punched him in the foreleg. But this only caused the changeling's smile to grow wider. "Anyway, this has been most enjoyable, but I must depart."

Dash's eyes flew open as she quickly shot up from her bed. The changeling made his way towards the window, but took a moment to stretch his limbs out first. Rainbow wasn't completely sure what had come over her, but she knew if he left, it would be the worst possible thing.

_Great, now I'm thinking like Rarity_, she thought to herself.

"You're leaving today?" She couldn't hide her disappointment from the changeling.

For years, she had dealt with the gossip and rumours about her being gay. Many colts back at flight school were intimidated by a mare who was stronger than them. So to bring her down, they started spreading rumours about her sexuality. They never really stopped, even when she went to Ponyville.

Even her best friend, Fluttershy, had thought she was for several years before realising Rainbow's real preference. As you might imagine, finding a coltfriend was pretty tough when everypony thought you preferred the same sex. So on Saturday nights, she would often find herself drinking her sorrows away, hoping that she would get lucky.

Then she met him.

"I'm sorry, Dash. Kind Daedalus is expecting me to return with love, and I can't disappoint the hive."

Her eyes pointed downwards.

_Left again_, she bitterly thought. _Well I don't need him! I can go on my own like I always do. Who needs a..._

She felt a pair of black lips make contact with hers for just a brief second, before letting go. She shook her head, stunned at the suddenness of the kiss. Then, when her mind caught up with reality, a rosy red covered her cyan cheeks.

"As I said, I must go back to the hive. However, although I have no orders to come back here, I would like to. I... have grown very fond of you. If that is alright with you."

_OMYGOSHOMGOSHOMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH_

"Uh, sure. I'm sure I can put you in my schedule," she said as coolly as she could muster. She could only barely contain the untold amounts of glee she had rising in her.

"I am glad. I will see you soon... my love."

With that, the bug-like being flew through the window, leaving the multicoloured pegasus to gaze at him as he flew off.

Then she realised something.

_How the buck am I going to tell the girls that I'm dating a changeling?_


	2. Disrupted Harmony

Rarity was overjoyed today. It usually wouldn't take a lot to bring her into a good mood. A creative spark, a visit from a friend, gaining a new client, even the smallest bit of luck would make her absolutely giddy with happiness.

Today, Rarity was gaining her newfound joy by simply having all her friends in her shop. Minus Rainbow Dash, but the pegasus assured her the other day that she would be there as soon as she could.

Since the boutique was being renovated, she had led them all to the only room she deemed suitable for her closest friends: her inspiration room, after it had been tidied up a bit. It only took her a moment to teleport a table, several chairs, and a tray of tea and cakes, and her room had become a makeshift gossip chamber. Sadly, Rarity had severely cut down on taking part in gossip since the Gabby Gums incident, but the less said about that, the better. At least Sweetie had learnt her lesson.

She was happy though at how marvellous the room looked with a bit of added furniture and the sun beaming through the window. The odd unfinished dress surrounding the room and the occasional piece of fabric still on the floor didn't harm the charming effect in her eyes.

What she found quite interesting though, was why they had all been called together. Ever since she had known Rainbow, not once had she seen a single interest in romance from the athletic mare. However, she had noticed that Rainbow had all the signs of a mare who was head over hooves in love with somepony else. It was as if the pegasus was walking on air, literally. To make things even more obvious, the mare herself had randomly approached Rarity with some questions about 'how to tell if somepony liked you.' Rarity had respected Rainbow's privacy, and played along when Dash said that she was just curious about it in case she had to deal with the odd stalker fan in the future.

Rarity looked up at the clock to find it was two minutes to two, and Rainbow had yet to appear to her own requested gathering. Rarity decided to take this moment to satisfy her own curiosity.

She and her friends were sitting around the oval shaped table, all sipping their cups of tea. Applejack was relaxing for once in her life, lounging in her chair with her trademark Stetson covering her eyes. Fluttershy was keeping herself to herself as usual, only occasionally joining in on the conversation. Pinkie, much to the others' surprise, was rather quiet. Rarity assumed this was because she was too busy enjoying the cake. Finally, there was Twilight, who was the main source of conversation. That was the mare Rarity wanted to talk to.

"Oh Twilight dear," her voice chimed throughout the room. Twilight's head turned to Rarity expectantly. "I was wondering if you could sate my curiosity."

"Of course, Rarity. I would be happy to help," Twilight replied with a genuine smile. The small exchange between the two mares had garnered the attention of Applejack and Fluttershy. Pinkie was still too busy eating her cake.

"Well, I was wondering if Rainbow Dash had checked any different books out lately. What I mean by that is has she been browsing any different genres than she normally would?"

Twilight's face scrunched up in thought. She didn't think about the unusual nature of the question itself, as she was more focused on answering it, just like she would if she were taking a test.

"Actually, when she came back with the latest Daring Do book, she asked if I had any romance books." Applejack adjusted her Stetson so the hat was no longer covering her eyes.

"RD, readin' a romance story? Ya sure about that, sugarcube?"

"Yes, I found it rather odd myself. She told me that when she got to the part where Daring falls in love with a writer, she became curious and wanted to try a pure romance novel."

Only Rarity was able to read between the lines of Dash's actions. She felt an odd sense of pride in her athletic friend. Perhaps it was the fact that Rainbow had never really shown interest in pursuing a relationship before, and it seemed like she was maturing in a sense.

_Those nasty rumours spread about her were probably the cause of her reluctance in finding love_, Rarity mused to herself. _This was something she had been musing over for sometime now. What brutes! How dare they spread outright lies about a lady's sexuality!_

The thought made her think back to when she had tried to set up Dash with Roseluck, only to be told by Dash she didn't like mares that way. On top of that, Roseluck didn't either. She's had her eyes on Big Mac for some time. Rarity had to give both mares numerous apologies till she felt the embarrassment wear off.

"Um… excuse me, Rarity."

A tiny, squeaky voice invaded the white mare's ears, and caused her train of thought to come to a complete halt. Fluttershy had somehow managed to quietly move her chair next to Rarity's. Rarity was used to Fluttershy unintentionally sneaking up at her, but Fluttershy seemed more conflicted than she usually did.

"Yes, darling. Whatever is the matter?"

Fluttershy took a quick sip of her tea to calm herself. She knew what this was all about. She had a feeling Rarity knew too. She just wanted to be certain.

"Rarity, I think I know why Rainbow wanted us to come today."

"You do?"

"Two days ago, I saw her coming out of the Everfree with… another pony. He was a stallion, but I didn't get a very good luck at him. She was nuzzling him a lot though, so I think they were together."

"You mean as a couple, darling?" Rarity had joined in with her own hushed voice.

"I think so. Oh, I hope Rainbow isn't mad at me for snooping. I was just…" Rarity raised a hoof in front of her friend to silence her. She would not allow Fluttershy to worry herself over nothing like she did so often.

"Fluttershy, you did absolutely nothing wrong. Tell me, did you just happen to be close by when you saw them? You didn't actively look for Rainbow, did you?"

"Oh goodness no. If I had, I would have gone to her house. I would never follow her without her knowledge." Rarity smiled warmly at her friend.

"You see? Darling, you have nothing to worry about. You didn't do anything wrong at all. And you were correct. I did have a suspicion of what this was all about. But how did you know that?"

Fluttershy began to hide behind her long mane. This was something she often did when she felt pressured or nervous about talking. It was why she would never consider cutting it. The elongated pink hair acted as her last line of defence in awkward social situations.

"Well, when we talk at the spa, you usually have this twinkle in your eye when you know something others don't. And since you don't gossip any more, I see that twinkle an awful lot. I just thought you might know."

Before Rarity could think over the fact she apparently had a 'twinkle', a knock at the door caught everypony's attention. Rarity's eyes drifted to the window, where she found it was still closed. Rainbow very rarely used the door, unless she was arriving with others, so she assumed it must have been a client, or perhaps another fabric delivery.

She took another sip of her tea, savouring the milky taste of the brew, before gently placing the cup and saucer on the oval table.

"If you would excuse me, everypony, I believe that must be a client. If Rainbow arrives, tell her to continue without me."

"Ya can take yer time, Rare," assured Applejack. "RD probably won't be here for a while yet."

Pinkie, for the first time in the conversation, put down the cake and joined in. "Yeah, Dashie's always late! Not for my parties though, she's never late for my parties because she always likes my parties. But there was that one party we had for Octavia when she hooked up with the Doctor, and she was late for that because she knocked herself out when she hit her head on her kitchen table when doing a balancing trick in her house. Hey, don't you think the Doctor is a silly name? When I first asked who he was, he said he was the Doctor. Then I asked, Doctor who? But he just laughed and said, just the Doctor. He's super smart though, just like Twilight, so I thought he would like to ask her out, but then Tavi asked him out first and he said yes and she was super-duper happy. Oh wait, I just called her Tavi. I think only Vinyl is allowed to—"

Rarity had stopped listening when Pinkie began talking about the Doctor. She abandoned the rest of her friends to suffer through a Pinkie rant and descended down the staircase to investigate the knocking on her front door.

Some scaffolding was still up from the renovations, but the entrance leading into the shop was generally tidy. Rarity had insisted on this so none of her clients would be put off from entering the building. Luckily, few of her 'friends' from Canterlot had paid a visit since the renovations began. Only Fancy Pants and his wife, and they were some of the least judgemental 'friends' she had made in the capital city.

The knocking continued.

"Just a minute, darling. I'll be there in a moment."

The knocking sounded urgent, so Rarity assumed whoever it was, was in a rush. She had no intention of making the pony at the door wait, so she quickened her pace and arrived at the door at a brisk speed. She cleared her throat and opened the door with her usual dramatic flair. With a tossed mane, and her best posh voice, she swung the door open with a greeting.

"Welcome to Carousel Bout—"

Rarity stopped mid-sentence when she noticed exactly who she was addressing. It was the chromatic-maned pegasus mare herself, Rainbow Dash. Rainbow's usual bravado and confidence was missing, and in its place was a meekness that was normally saved for Fluttershy. She was shyly rubbing a hoof along the back of her head, and avoiding eye contact with her friend.

"O-oh, hey, Rare. What's up?" Rarity had barely shaken off the surprise of seeing her friend acting like this when she replied.

"Rainbow Dash? Are you alright?" Rarity was beginning to become worried. The last time she saw her anywhere close to this was when she was preparing for the Best Young Flier's competition.

"I-I'm good, I guess. Is everypony else here?" Rainbow still had yet to look at Rarity directly.

"Rainbow, are you sure you're alright? Has something happened?"

Rainbow finally looked up, and her eyes were filled with worry. Rainbow also looked very tired, as if she had been up all night. When the Element of Loyalty had visited the other day, and asked if they could meet at Rarity's the next day, she seemed perfectly fine. Rarity decided to take a chance and confront the athletic mare with what she knew.

"Rainbow, I know why you called us here today."

"YOU DO!?"

Any sign of how tired Rainbow Dash was miraculously disappeared in that moment. Her head snapped forward and she jumped up in the air and remained up there with the use of her wings. Rarity had gone this far, so she decided to go all the way.

"Yes, I know about your coltfriend. That's why you called us here, to tell us the news, yes?" A wave of relief fell over Rainbow as she wiped some sweat off her brow.

_She doesn't know_, she thought. _Well, she kinda knows. Only half of it I guess. I'd better get this over with_. She gently floated down so she could address Rarity properly.

"Yeah, you got me, Rare," she nervously chuckled. Rarity smiled when she noticed that Rainbow had cheered up slightly. "But uh, there's a little bit more to it. So we should probably get this over with."

* * *

"So, what's all this about, RD?" Applejack asked curiously. "Ya look more nervous than the time Ah caught Apple Bloom with 'er hoof in the cookie jar."

The meek nature that Rainbow Dash had displayed before was returning the more her friends continued to stare at her. The awesome persona she had built for herself over the years was more fragile than she would like to have thought. She had gratefully accepted the cup of tea, and at first, was making idle chat with her friends like she usually did. However, Twilight continued to press on about why they had been brought here. Her natural curiosity had gotten the better of her. Because of this, Dash could no longer change the subject, and would have to face the music. Or rather, the judgement of her closest friends.

In one single motion, Rainbow swallowed her courage, and began to speak.

"So, thanks for coming, guys. It means a lot to me. I guess I had better tell you guys what's going on." Pinkie's eyes practically bulged out of her head as she got right in Rainbow Dash's face.

"Oh my gosh, are you sick? No wait, you look nervous. Oh my gosh, my ear flop, twitchy eye and hoof itch means one of my friends was going to reveal a massive secret to us! ARE YOU PREGNANT!? BABY SHOWER TIME!"

The walls of the boutique nearly came down as Pinkie Pie shouted the last line. Fluttershy dropped her tea cup in shock while Applejack's jaw nearly came unhinged at the thought. Rainbow saw the looks she was getting, especially around her belly, and was going to have none of it.

"What!? No, I am not pregnant!" A large sigh of relief escaped her friend's mouths and they began to get comfy again. "I'm… seeing somepony."

The mood shifted back to surprise, but this was more of a nice surprise, opposed to the sheer shock and horror of Pinkie's sudden outburst. Speaking of which, Pinkie, who was still directly in front of Dash, started to giggle to herself.

"Silly Dashie," she managed to get out through her laugh, "I'm seeing somepony too."

Everypony in the room was suddenly blown back by Pinkie's announcement. Eyes darted towards her as the pink mare began to hop in front of each of her friends.

"Pinkie? You're seeing somepony as well? For how long?" inquired Twilight. Pinkie waved a hoof nonchalantly.

"All the time. I see all the ponies coming into the shop, I see Mr and Mrs Cake, and I'm seeing all of you guys right now." Twilight had to use all of her strength to resist facehoofing when she realised what Pinkie meant.

"Pinkie, do you mean you're looking at us?"

"Yeah, that's what Dashie said."

Applejack shook her head. "Actually, sugarcube, Dash meant she's dating a fella. Am Ah right?" Dash nodded in agreement.

Pinkie suddenly came to a halt in mid-air and just stayed there for a moment. Twilight would be freaking out about how Pinkie just casually broke the laws of physics for months after, but it was as if a light bulb had been switched on inside Pinkie's head. She craned her head towards Dash, blinked several times, and then suddenly launched herself at her rainbow-haired friend and wrapped her in a gigantic hug. The sheer glee on Pinkie Pie's face would be hard for anypony throughout time to match.

"Dashie! I'm so happy for you! We have to throw you a party! A 'Dash is finally getting herself some' party! And everypony in town will come and—"

A hoof shoved in Pinkie's mouth was the only thing that would stop her at that point. Dash had managed to wriggle a foreleg out and stop the party mare's tirade before she went too far. Dash's previous fear was gone, and in its place was annoyance.

"Pinkie, nopony wants to go to a party just because I got laid. And where did you get the idea I wasn't getting it before?"

Rarity avoided eye contact.

With Pinkie finally calming down, the rest of the girls decided that congratulations were in order, and delivered them with relief and sincerity. Many of them were glad that Dash had finally shaken off the romantic chip on her shoulder. Before things went too far though, the sound of Rarity clearing her throat gained everypony's attention.

"Now, congratulations, Rainbow, but you haven't told us a thing about the stallion in question. Please elaborate for us. Who is the devilish rogue who has won your heart?"

_I forgot how much Rare likes to ham it up_, Rainbow thought to herself. The anxiety and the fear had returned, leaving Dash's cyan coat to turn as white as a ghost. Her throat began to feel as dry as sandpaper, and she reached for her tea as a desperate remedy. As she chugged the boiling-hot liquid down her throat, her friends returned to their seats, all equally hungry to know who Rainbow was talking about.

Rainbow nearly slammed the small teacup on the saucer, but managed to restrain herself at the last moment and gently lowered it. She cleared her throat which only helped slightly with her voice as it came out raspier than usual.

"Well… um… I can't… tell you his… name," she said as she smiled nervously. She was met with confused stares from her friends.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking… why not?" asked Fluttershy. Her voice was barely audible, but strangely seemed far more confident than Rainbow's. Rainbow desperately shook her head to clear it and her normal tone of voice briefly returned.

"I need to tell you guys some… things about him first. I need to know if you're cool."

Again, more confused stares.

"Why the hay wouldn't we be cool with ya dating, RD?" asked Applejack.

"By any chance, did this pony do anything bad? Has he done jail time for example?" Inquired Twilight, who seemed more curious than confused.

Once again, Pinkie jumped into the middle of the room. "Oh! Was he a robber? Did he have a getaway cart and everything? Did he have a tommy gun?" To avoid the inevitable barrage of questions, Dash waved her hooves around.

"Nah, he did some bad stuff, but he's done some good stuff too. I guess you could say he helps stop bad guys."

"Wait, is he a superhero? Like Batmare, Iron Pony, Captain Equestria, Blue Lantern, Dr Fate, Spider-Mane, Flash, Gravity Queen…?"

"No, no, no. Pinkie! He isn't a superhero like those ones up in Manehattan or Maretropolis. He's a regular dude… sort of. He isn't a pony." Rarity scoffed at this.

"Oh please, Rainbow. You shouldn't be embarrassed. Interspecies relationships are nothing new. Why, just the other week I had the pleasure of gaining a wolf client from up north. And I say, if he had been sticking around, I would have…"

"That's not the point!" Rainbow shouted all of a sudden, shocking her friends. They remained silent as Dash buried her head in her hooves.

_Oh sweet Celestia, I just need to get this over with. They'll figure it out eventually. Twi is way too smart to not figure it out at some point._ Rainbow let out an exasperated sigh and lifted her head from her hooves. She was tired. She hadn't been able to sleep a wink last night, as the thoughts of what she would do today had been constant inside her mind.

"Look, he isn't a pony, wolf, griffon, minotaur or whatever. He's…"

_Just say it._

"He's…"

_Just say it._

"He's…"

_JUST BUCKING SAY IT, YOU COWARD!_

"He's a changeling…"

The silence that followed was the most nerve-racking that Rainbow had ever experienced in her entire life. Nopony dared to make a sudden movement in the tense atmosphere at first, but eventually they began to move very gingerly. Applejack shook her head slightly, Fluttershy had moved so she was hiding behind her chair, Rarity could only blink a couple of times, Pinkie had stayed frozen solid with an unnerving smile on her face, and finally, Twilight was rubbing her ears to make sure her hearing was working properly.

Twilight was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry Rainbow, but I think I might have misheard you. Did you say were dating a _changeling?_" She said the last word with extra emphasis.

"… I did, Twi. I'm dating a changeling."

Rarity fainted. Applejack's jaw hit the floor. Fluttershy curled up into a ball. Pinkie continued to stay still. But Twilight fired one single bolt of magic directly at Rainbow's forehead.

The suddenness of the magic spell, and the fact that Rainbow had highly doubted an attack, caught her completely off guard. She fell backwards off her chair and the back of her skull smacked against the wooden floor. She could hear distant voices around her.

"What the heck are you doing?"

"She's being controlled. I have to remove the spell on her!"

"No… Rainbow, are you alright?"

"Goodness, I think she's out cold…"

"… Rainbow…"

A blackness began to take her vision. Because of a mixture of fatigue, stress, and pain, Rainbow made no attempt to stop it. She allowed herself to drift off into dreamland. There, she would be happy. The last thing her mind was able to pick up was the single drop of wet fluid coming from her eye.

_My eye's leaking again_, she lied to herself. _Heh, it always seems to do that lately._

* * *

**So yeah, I'll upload the next chapter tomorrow at some point but I hope you like what you read. I've always been a bit of a fan of the more unusual ships, but one's where you can make a genuine connection. I owe this entire story from that writing game, and the success it's received on fimfiction. As of writing this, it has gained 1238 likes and 1893 favourites. I don't expect much here, but you never know, right? I do love reading positive comments and one's with constructive criticism so I hope to hear some from you guys too.**


	3. Old King Daedalus

The old monarch's toothy grin could not have been wider. He had been resting on his throne, content with only the hive mind buzzing around in his skull. It was peaceful, it was quiet, it was… boring. Very, very, boring. Daedalus hated boring, but then again, that was sometimes the price you paid for peace. His lings were content inside the forest. He could sense no serious discomfort for the moment. This meant he was feeling useless today, and he hated that more than anything.

His boredom did not last though, much to the changeling king's relief. One of his guards had informed him over the hive mind that he had a changeling requesting an audience with him. Despite his age, the king nearly leapt out of his seat with joy when he heard who it was and gave the order to have him brought in. Remembering he was a king and should act like such, he rushed backed to his throne and sat down with a regained sense of authority. While trying not to look like the time he had been informed the new _Daring Do_ book was receiving an early release.

That had been a good day.

His throne room was similar to the one in Canterlot, minus the windows. In their place were murals to famous changelings of the past. His father, King Ares, was one of them and alongside him was Leonardo da Hoofci, the greatest disguised changeling to come from his hive. The mural closest to him was of his late son, Icarus, the first changeling in space, and the last. His throne sat at the far end of the room, and a green carpet made of silk led from the chair to the large doors at the end. The room was lit by a great number of candles that helped add to the majestic—and slightly creepy—atmosphere.

The doors gently opened, and in trotted the changeling that Daedalus had been so excited to hear from. Again, managing to keep his composure, he allowed the changeling to make it to his throne and kneel before him.

"King Daedalus, it is a pleasure to see you again."

The king in question was not like most changelings. Like his fellow kings and queens, his anatomy was slightly different. Instead of four legs, he walked on two. And on the ends of his forearms were not hooves, but rather claws that were similar to a dragon. He stroked the long, flowing green beard on the end of his chin for a moment, looking over his friend to see if he was physically fine. He scratched the long green mane on his head, careful not to knock his top hat off. He only wore his crown on diplomatic missions as he hated the ghastly thing. He flicked a clawed finger upward and his subject rose up.

"You may stand, my little ling. I believe we have some things to discuss, and I imagine that will be quite difficult with your face on the floor." His voice was deep and as smooth as chocolate. The changeling before him quickly righted himself with a hint of embarrassment. "Now, shall we call you by your pony name, or your birth name?"

"My birth name, please," the changeling replied with a thick Trottingham accent.

"Alright then, Toxotis, how have you been? I was expecting you two days ago." The changeling quickly bowed before righting himself again.

"Your majesty, before we begin, I would like to inform you I have made a large love deposit to allow our magic to continue." The king nodded in response.

"I have heard the most disturbing news though, so please allow me to ask this. Is Chrysalis truly alive?"

"I assume you heard this when you entered the hive mind again?"

"Yes, so is the imposter still among the living?"

"Sadly so. _Queen Chrysalis_ has done more than enough to tarnish our name. First she failed the monarchy test, but became delusional and started an extremist group. Then she had the nerve to attack the capital of Equestria, with what was possibly the worse invasion attempt in the history of… forever. So bad was this attack that she and her army were defeated by the power of love. That still hasn't sunk in yet. I mean she's made us look like morons."

If Toxotis had an eyebrow, he would have raised it. Instead, he opted for a confused stare.

"Your majesty, shouldn't you be more upset that she revealed our very existence to the world, and Equestria has technically declared war on our race? Actually, you don't really seem bothered about the fact that she's still alive."

Daedalus let out a deep chuckle that echoed throughout the room. Oh, he had been angry at first, infuriated by the fact that his race could be wiped out in an instant. But then he remembered how good he and his kind were at hiding, so he quickly got over it. Plus, his problems may well be fixed sooner rather than later. He cleared his throat and shuffled in his seat to feel more comfortable. After a thousand years he still had a tendency to slip up when it came to etiquette.

"Toxotis, would you like to know something about the insane?"

The changeling's silence was more than enough for the king to continue.

"Funny thing is they can only hide their insanity for so long till it's revealed to the entire world. The other thing about the insane is that they mess up, a lot. It doesn't matter how concrete a plan is, they always find some way to let their own madness ruin it for them. So it's only a matter of time before good old Chrysi messes up again, and this time finds her head is no longer attached to her neck. By the way, those ponies you sent here, I assume they were your doing?"

"… How did…?"

"I know things, Toxotis. Let's leave it at that. They were a lovely bunch of ponies, not sure about that one with the razor sharp teeth and that invisible one, but a lovely bunch all the same. It was nice to see Mimic again as well…"

"Your majesty, what if we are discovered?" Toxotis almost panicked when he even considered the concept. The king narrowed his eyes which made his subject cower slightly. The rare moments when he allowed his mere presence to become disturbingly powerful was a sight to behold. There was one thing Daedalus hated: being interrupted.

However, he was a merciful soul.

"I will forgive that interruption. We have become close, you and I, over the last couple of months. You with your calculating and uptight attitude, me with my fatherly and carefree nature. I like to think I've taught you a few things. But don't you dare interrupt me again. Next time, I won't be so forgiving."

Toxotis was losing the feeling in his hooves, and his knees went weak. He forced himself to swallow the large lump that had built in his throat as he gazed up in terror at his master. Many could easily forget who they were talking to when they met Daedalus because of his likeable nature. But this was the changeling that had defied Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago. This was the changeling that had driven out a race of hairless apes and claimed the forest as his own. This was the only living being who has been able to tame this damnable area and bend it to his will. Arguably, this was one of the greatest kings, let alone changelings, who ever lived. And Toxotis had just pissed him off. He desperately searched for the courage to voice an apology, and thankfully did.

"I-I'm s-s-so sorry your maj…"

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The changeling's eyes snapped open towards his king, who was in a hysterical fit of laughter. The monarch was clutching his stomach in an attempt to prevent the pains he was receiving from laughing so much, but it was in vain. Tear droplets were forming in his eyes and his neck craned backwards as the laughter continued. All the while, Toxotis was putting two and two together, and realised he had been tricked. Again.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," he muttered under his breath, "I can't believe I fell for that act again…"

"You should have seen your face!" Daedalus managed to get out through his uncontrollable laughter. He was able to take a deep breath and calm himself down slightly, but couldn't stop the smirk from remaining on his face. "I'm sorry," he said insincerely. "It's just you fall for that every time, EVERY TIME! I've missed you, Toxotis, I really have." He snorted once or twice before his laughter finally began to die down.

"As for your other question," the old ruler continued through the ending of a chuckle, "They won't find us. Trust me on this. Even the royal guard doesn't explore the Everfree, so we're safe. Even if they did, they would only become lost in this grand maze. This forest has always been kind to us, and the hive mind always guides us home. Anyway, since you've come all this way, do you have any more questions?"

The changeling shook his head, but he was still trying to process all the new information. He hoped his majesty wasn't going to ask a question that required a lot of brain power.

"In that case, how have things been for you? Has your noble quest for redemption borne any fruit by chance?"

_Oh goodness, I'm going to have to tell him_, Toxotis nervously thought. "Well… I've only had a few new cases as of late. My mentor, Sherclop, has been kind enough to send me a few he couldn't be bothered with, but business has been a little slow, I must admit. Despite the chaos Ponyville regularly receives, there's not much call for a detective."

"… While I believe you, I get this feeling you're not telling me everything. Am I wrong?"

Toxotis knew that wasn't going to work, but it was worth a shot. He sighed heavily and gazed up at his leader. He bit his lip for a moment, allowing the small ounce of pain to act as a reprimand for his own actions.

"You are correct, King Daedalus. May I ask how you knew?"

"I didn't need to use the hive mind, especially since you've cut off access to what it is. You can trust me, Toxotis. Did you do something bad?"

"No, it's not like that. I'll be blunt with you. I… have found myself… in a relationship."

Toxotis didn't have time to react as he was swept into a bone crunching hug. The king let out a hearty chuckle as he wrapped his friend in his arms and picked him up from the ground. They spun around for about two minutes and all the while, Toxotis was feeling more and more queasy, until Daedalus put him down and almost broke out into a jig. However, he forgot how to do one, so he settled for the hokey pokey.

Toxotis just stared as the idol of thousands broke out into a foals' dance. He wasn't really sure what to do with himself as his king got to the part where his right leg was in, so he just continued to watch, and made a mental note to delete this from his brain forever. Thankfully, after five minutes of dancing, the old king managed to control himself and approached his friend with the biggest smile Toxotis ever saw him wear.

"Finally! Well done my friend. I was wondering if you'd ever try and settle down. This is a pony, I'm assuming?"

Toxotis somehow found the means to pick his jaw off the floor and reconnect it to his head. "Uh, yeah, she is."

"Excellent, we should have a party. It will be a 'Toxotis is finally getting himself some' party and…"

"Your majesty, I doubt anyling would come to a party just because I got laid."

"Oh, so you haven't done her yet. Saving her for marriage, eh?"

It took all the strength the changeling had to not facehoof. The sheer absurdity of this moment had made him forget all his worries. His body relaxed and his tension began to subside. The feeling of relief wouldn't last long though.

"So, who's the lucky mare?"

"Oh, uh, well, it's a weather manager."

"Interesting, that would make her a pegasus. And what's her name?"

"Her name?"

"Yes, what's her name?

Time seemed to stop for a moment as the detective analysed the situation. There was no escape. There were no more chances to dodge the question without Daedalus becoming suspicious. There was only one option left for Toxotis. He would simply have to confess.

"Your majesty, her name is Rainbow Dash. But you and I know her as the Element of Loyalty."

Her name and description hadn't completely registered at first for Daedalus. But when it did, Toxotis swore the king's left eye twitched. The leader's smile began to falter. The lines that curved up to make a smile began to lower until it became a large frown. His eyes were unreadable, but his entire posture had become significantly tenser. He closed the gap between himself and his subject with one long stride till he was towering over him.

"Toxotis," he uncharacteristically growled. "We need to have a serious talk about your taste in partner."

* * *

Twilight Sparkle was a good pony.

You wouldn't find many who would claim the unicorn was malicious or ignorant. If anything, Twilight always sought to understand and think rationally about nearly every scenario she found herself in. When it came to heat-of-the-moment decisions though, Twilight had a tendency to panic, and when one of the most powerful unicorns in all of Equestria panics, you might find yourself on the receiving end of the mare's crazed state.

Still, Twilight was a good pony. At least she liked to think so.

Just moments ago, Twilight had fired an overpowered spell that hit the forehead of one of her best friends, Rainbow Dash. The mare in question was left sprawled out on the floor, losing consciousness. For a moment, nopony dared to utter a word. Rarity was on the floor too. However, she had overdramatically fainted, and immediately brought herself back to her hooves.

Applejack stood up from her chair, but remained slack-jawed as Rainbow Dash continued to lose consciousness. Fluttershy had gotten up from her hiding spot and quickly flew over to her best friend to comfort her. She wrapped her foreleg under Rainbow's head and waved a free hoof over Dash's face. There was no response. Pinkie remained quiet, not saying a word.

Applejack blinked several times before slapping a hoof over her face, still in disbelief at what she saw. Then she asked, "What the heck did ya do ta her, Twi?" As her face contorted into anger, she found herself in debate on what course of action she should take. She had to think rationally, but what Twilight had done was beyond shocking to Applejack.

"She's being controlled. I have to remove the spell on her!" Twilight shouted, unable to control herself at this point. Everything was going wrong. She didn't mean to knock out Rainbow, she had simply overcast the spell and had left her friend drifting in and out of consciousness.

Fluttershy's eyes scanned over Dash's body. As her hoof gently wandered over Rainbow's body, she could see there were no visible signs of damage, not even on her forehead, but her eyes were glazing over. Fluttershy wasn't exactly sure what kind of spell Twilight had cast, but she didn't want to take any chances. "No… Rainbow, are you alright?" she asked as she tried to shake her friend conscious again. Her attempt was in vain though.

"Goodness, I think she's out cold," Rarity spoke softly, still slightly dazed from fainting moments ago. In her confusion, she had forgotten what this whole thing had been about. A free hoof covered her mouth to stifle a gasp.

"… Rainbow…" Fluttershy squeaked out one last time before Rainbow Dash entered dreamland. Tiny tear droplets began to form in Fluttershy's eyes.

With Dash out cold, all eyes turned towards Twilight Sparkle, whose brain was going haywire. Sweat began to leak from her forehead, her breathing became harsher and more panicked, but the stares directed towards her were only making things worse. Twilight had completely forgotten why she had cast her spell on Rainbow Dash in the first place. Instead, she was panicking over what to do next.

Fluttershy was in the process of making sure Dash was comfortable, when a purple aura snatched Rainbow away and towards Twilight. Twilight looked over Rainbow herself, first checking if she was fine. As she suspected, Rainbow was only unconscious. But then her panicking began to grow worse as different scenarios played out inside her mind.

_How long will she be out for?_ she first thought. This thought would snowball out of control. _What if she suffers ill effects from the power of the blast? What if she doesn't wake up for longer than she should? What if she's in a coma? What if she does wake up, but doesn't remember us because it affected her brain? It would be entirely my fault!_

The stares from her friends caught her attention again. With a bit of focus, she could make out the hidden message behind each glare. Fluttershy, who had been looking worriedly at Dash in her condition, now looked upon Twilight with fear. Whether it was because she didn't know what Twilight would do next, or because she was afraid of Twilight herself was unknown. Applejack had an angry, venomous glare directed at her friend. Rarity just seemed unsure of what to do and Pinkie… just looked depressed. The purple mare could just make out Pinkie muttering to herself.

"… I thought this was supposed to be a rom-com…"

The pressure had gotten to her. And just like a kettle, she was about to explode.

"I CAN FIX THIS!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Before any of her friends could react, both Twilight and Rainbow Dash were gone in a flash of light.

* * *

Twilight reappeared in her library with Rainbow Dash in tow. Most would have taken Rainbow to a hospital at this point, but Twilight wasn't thinking clearly again. She was determined to fix this herself and also make sure that Dash would be alright. She needed Spike though. Her little brother would be essential in taking care of Rainbow.

"Spike! Are you here!?" She had told the young dragon to stay at the library to do his chores and look after the tree while she was out. Despite the fact that Spike had been invited to hear Dash's confession also, his chores had backed up so much that he had to miss it in order to catch up. Her ears stood to attention, trying to make out even the tiniest sound.

"Oh, Twilight, you're back," came a response from above. That was definitely Spike. Twilight let out a sigh of relief and trotted upstairs, making sure Rainbow was still in her magical grip. As she made her way up through, Spike's voice became slightly panicked. "Oh… Ugh, by the way, that cold I had. Um, the aftermath just sort of happened." Twilight was confused as to what he meant until she reached the top and found several burnt books spread out on the floor.

An event such as this would have normally led to Twilight suffering a nervous breakdown, followed by several hours of crying, desperate attempts to fix them which normally didn't work, more crying, ice cream with the girls, and finally ordering replacements for the destroyed books. Luckily for Spike, who looked ready to jump out the window, Twilight had something bigger to worry about. She just had to hope one of those burnt books wasn't the one she needed.

"Spike, do we have that book on mind spells? Specifically volume two?"

Spike stared blankly at Twilight for a moment, occasionally blinking as the realisation dawned on him that he wasn't in trouble. Spike was smart enough to know that there was something really important going on.

"Yeah, it's downstairs, I think."

"Could you get it, please?" Twilight levitated Dash up the stairs, stopping Spike dead in his tracks as he gazed at the unconscious form of his pegasus friend.

"Twilight, what hap—"

"Not now, Spike! Get the book!" she snapped at him.

Spike sprinted off down the stairs and Twilight floated Rainbow onto her bed. She groaned in frustration as she placed Dash in the recovery position to be safe, and waited patiently for Spike to return. Twilight hoped that she would have a moment to herself to try to calm down. However, Spike had been quicker than she thought he would be and before she knew it, he had joined her back upstairs with the book in hand. She noted that he must have been concerned for Dash.

"Here you go, Twilight," Spike said while nearly out of breath. Twilight didn't give her usual thank you. Instead, she snatched the book away with her magic.

"Alright, Spike, I need you to look after Rainbow while I check through this book. She should be fine, but I just need to be sure, so keep her monitored. Can you do that for me?" Twilight received a salute from her adopted brother, who went to work on checking over Dash. She smiled to herself. She always did that when she had the chance to witness those moments where Spike acted like the mature drake he was. But she didn't have time to think about that; she had to look over the spell.

She trotted over to her work desk and laid the tome on the table. She didn't even need to look at the index as she knew exactly what page the spell was on. The spell was very practical for those in the military and special agency groups. It was multipurpose in the sense it could remove both hypnotic suggestions and full on mind control. That Twilight knew, but earlier was the first time she had ever tried it on a pony, and in her panicked state, she overpowered the spell. Now she was looking for any side effects. Her brain took in every word as she carefully scanned over the page. Every note, every minute detail was of the utmost importance and finally she came to the section she needed.

_It is important to note that this spell is rather easy to overpower. We would advise several practice tests before trying the spell out on a living subject. However, apart from perhaps a slight concussion depending on the impact of the blast, an overpowered shot should not cause any lasting damage. At most a pony may receive temporary memory loss, but it will have the same effect as a safely cast spell. The pony the spell is cast upon will have all hypnotic suggestions removed from their mind. If there was no mind control present at the time the spell was cast, they should suffer no ill effects._

Finally, Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. The worry and fear that was haunting her mind began to melt away and a tiny smile embraced her lips. Rainbow would be fine. She almost felt like hopping around the library in happiness, but decided against it until she knew if Rainbow was completely out of the woods. _I'll have to make sure Rainbow hasn't suffered any memory loss_, she mused to herself as she closed the book. _What a day! Ever since Rainbow told us about her new coltfriend…_

Twilight froze on the spot.

What felt like hours ago, but in reality was only several minutes, began to play back in her head. Going to the boutique, Rainbow's announcement and a sense of sincere happiness for her friend. Then Dash's second announcement, and a shot of confusion, then anger, then worry. She wasn't mad at Rainbow, she was mad at whoever this new coltfriend of Dash's was.

Her muscles tensed and her breathing became harsher as she thought over exactly what Rainbow had told her about him. In the end, Dash had only specified a gender, and that this changeling was most likely living in, or close by, Ponyville. She didn't have a name, an occupation, a coat colour or anything that could help identify this probable imposter. She wasn't too worried about that though; she could get any information she required from Dash once she awoke. With that knowledge safely tucked away in her brain, Twilight could relax.

Until the library door swung open.

"TWI!" cried out a Southern voice from the doorway, "ya'd best get yer flank down here right this second!" Judging by the sounds of multiple hoofsteps, she came to the conclusion that her friends had arrived, and they sounded very upset. Before she could do anything, the sound of tiny steps running down the stairs reached her ears.

She intercepted her brother by teleporting just in front of him at the foot of the stairs. He came screeching to a halt just before he crashed into Twilight. She pointed her hoof upstairs. "I'll take care of this, Spike. You keep monitoring Dash for me." Spike nodded and ran back upstairs.

Twilight craned her neck towards the door to see her friends walking themselves in. Since she did live in a public library, the door was never locked during opening hours. Twilight grimaced when her eyes met Applejack's. Her other friends were avoiding eye contact for the moment, realising that AJ and Twi were about to go at it, or rather, Applejack was moments away from laying the verbal smackdown on her friend.

"Twi, what have ya done with RD?" she simply asked, trying in vain to calm herself down.

"She's upstairs, resting," replied Twilight.

"That's not what Ah meant! What did ya do ta Rainbow Dash?"

"… Oh, uh, I simply cast a spell that would clear Dash's mind of all hypnotic suggestions and manipulation."

"And was this here spell meant ta knock out mah best friend?!"

"…"

"Ah didn't think so. What in the hay is wrong with you, Twilight?!"

Her friends were staring at her again. This time though, Twilight refused to panic like she did before. She took a deep breath before addressing Applejack. "Do you remember what Rainbow Dash told us? She claims to be dating a changeling. Something has happened to Rainbow, and it must be some sort of mind manipulation. You all remember how vocal she was about her dislike for the changelings after the wedding, right?"

Fluttershy gently raised a hoof to catch her friend's attention. "Yes, we were all very upset and scared after the wedding. Many ponies say and do things when they're upset that they don't necessarily mean. Maybe Rainbow moved on."

"Yeah, I bet this changeling is a nice changeling," said Pinkie who was hopping around her fellow elements. "That means I can still throw my 'congrats on becoming a super cute couple' party, right?"

Twilight let out an annoyed grunt. "Girls, focus. Fluttershy, I understand what you're saying, but changelings are manipulators, and Rainbow isn't known for letting go of grudges. She's way too prideful for that. And no, Pinkie, there is going to be no party." Pinkie's lip began to quiver as Rarity cleared her throat, garnering everypony's attention.

"Twilight, please explain to us why our poor friend is lying unconscious upstairs."

"I… overpowered the spell. I've had very little practice actually casting it. I'm sorry." As Twilight spoke, she lowered her head in shame.

"Don't apologise to me, darling. Apologise to Rainbow once she wakes up."

Twilight nodded eagerly, still wearing a frown. "Yes, she should be fine. The worst thing that could happen is Rainbow could have temporary memory loss…" Fluttershy's gasp interrupted Twilight's explanation. Shy, in a rare moment of speed, shot upstairs to check on Rainbow. From the corner of her eye, Twilight could see steam coming from Applejack's nostrils. "… but it is very unlikely that anything's wrong with Dash." She smiled sheepishly. A desperate attempt to show innocence was her next plan, but then Rarity said something that caught her attention.

"Twilight, have you possibly considered that you may have not thought this through?"

Twilight looked puzzled. Going through the mental checklist in her head provided herself with no faults in her logic. "Rarity, Rainbow Dash told us she's dating a changeling. She must have obviously been given some kind of mind control spell or drug."

"But darling, that's the problem. I won't claim I'm some sort of expert on mind control magic, but if Dash was being manipulated, why would she outright tell us she was in a relationship with this changeling character? If the changeling is meant to be controlling her, wouldn't the manipulator make sure Dash never told us about their relationship in the first place?"

Twilight really wanted to argue with her, but logic had prevailed. She considered what her friend said. Normally, mind manipulation spells would prevent the pony under control from thinking for themselves. They were essentially a living puppet. From what her brother had told her after his wedding, he said that Chrysalis had made him believe that she was Cadence. But from what she read, she could have also given him the subconscious order not to reveal her identity. It was similar to hypnosis in a sense.

With that reasoning, Rainbow would have been given the same order to not reveal this changeling's identity. Logic, her best friend, was leading her down the right path. It wasn't a conclusion she especially liked, but it was the truth, something her friend Applejack held to a very high standard and would definitely appreciate once Dash could explain for herself. There was a small possibility that the changeling had simply never given the order to reveal his identity, but this was very unlikely considering how often changelings hid in pony society. The conclusion was simple. Rainbow genuinely had feelings for this changeling

This in itself only raised more intrigue for the unicorn. Of all the ponies Twilight knew, Rainbow was one of the most stubborn. The only one more stubborn than her was AJ, and that was quite a statement in and of itself. After the invasion attempt, Rainbow had been particularly vocal about her distrust for the race. She went on a tirade in front of the townsfolk about the freaky bugs that they should all be keeping an eye out for. Twilight also had a personal vendetta against them, but she wouldn't allow any past experiences to cloud her mind again. All she knew was that Rainbow was going to be very mad when she woke up.

"Ah know that look." Twilight left her train of thought to stare at Applejack. "Ya've jus' figured something out, haven't ya, Twi?" Applejack was a little more relaxed now. Instead of anger, her eyes were filled with concern. "What's wrong, sugarcube?"

"It seems impossible, but it must be true…" muttered Twilight.

Pinkie had managed to overhear. "What's impossible? I like doing the impossible! It's super funny to see ponies look at me like I just destroyed reality for them! I remember the time Twilight did that, too! She got so mad she set herself on fire—" A purple hoof shoved in Pinkie's mouth stopped the tirade.

"The facts simply don't lie," continued Twilight. "Thinking over what Rarity said, I believe she's absolutely right. How could I have been so stupid!? A changeling would have told Dash not to reveal his identity. That must mean she did it of her own accord. If she did that on her own, then it's most likely that she was never brainwashed in the first place. She's dating this changeling because she wants to."

At that moment, the sound of a pony clearing her throat came from the top of the staircase. When Twilight and company looked up, they found Rainbow standing at the top, looking down directly at Twilight.

* * *

**Since I'm here, you may have noticed Daedalus talking about Mimic and a few other characters. They are from another story I've written on Fimfiction called "The League of Extraordinary Ponies." I will be uploading that here as well at some point. I hope you liked this chapter and please review and tell me what you like so far. Have a nice day.**


	4. Memory Lane

A horde of black figures walked under a green glow as they began their busy schedules. The sunshine falling from the sky could not reach this place, but the hive knew when it was time to sleep and when it was time to rise by instinct alone. Survivors, they would often call themselves. They hid, they planned, they worked together, but above all else they were survivors. The hive always came first. They did not eat the love here, but instead they allowed the love given from others to fuel their abilities and community. Each changeling had one being to thank for where they lived now: King Daedalus.

All eyes turned towards the king making his way through the hive. Daedalus was strolling along the street, flanked by two guards and Toxotis. This was not an uncommon occurrence as Daedalus would often delight in taking a stroll amongst his own kind, yet he had long ago accepted the fact that he would never be seen as an equal amongst them. The point was driven home every time they all began to bow to him. He raised his claw to signal them to rise, something that had become second nature to him over the years.

Daedalus stroked his beard as he turned his head in different directions. His eyes scanned from street to street, trying to decide where to go. He often wondered if ponies would be surprised at how the hive looked, considering it greatly resembled a city. There were structures filled with housing arrangements that closely resembled skyscrapers. Streets had been carved to direct the masses of lings walking them each day, going about their business for their families and the hive. Above them all was the dome that covered the city and blocked out the sun. In its place was green nectar that illuminated the darkness. Enough of it had been placed on the ceiling in specific places that it shone down on the city below. Despite how large the hive was, the Everfree kept them hidden. While most kings and queens opted for caves and caverns to build their homes, the forest acted as the perfect place to settle down once it had been tamed. It was not his original choice to settle down here of all places, but he couldn't deny that fate had dealt him a good hand.

"I think I'll have some tea today," Daedalus muttered to himself. He took the closest right while Toxotis and the guards did their best to follow. The crowds never got a chance to form as Daedalus sent a request through the hive mind to be left alone. All the changelings around him continued on with their business, but couldn't help but take the occasional glance.

A tiny little café, one that Daedalus often visited, was in his sights. The owner of the establishment was immediately updated on who was approaching and quickly set to work on making a fresh pot of tea specifically for the king. Daedalus walked up to a little table just outside and gently sat down so he wouldn't break the chair. He had a history of forgetting he was much larger than most of his kind. With a simple pointed finger, he motioned for Toxotis to join him at the table. "Guards, I want you to leave us. I wish to speak to my friend alone." The order was much sterner than usual, but the guards made no objections and left.

"Y-Your Majesty. May I—" Toxotis was silenced by a single finger to his lips. Daedalus wanted his cup of tea first before any conversation began. He could have asked for one at the palace, but he wanted to be as relaxed as possible before the inevitable conversation he was about to have. Being in the presence of so many of his subjects would hopefully prevent him from going into a rage. Unfortunately for Toxotis, there weren't many changelings about at the time. There was only the café owner, and a few other customers inside who were trying to look like they weren't staring at the king, and spectacularly failing. One or two changelings would occasionally walk past them, but due to the previous request, many didn't even look in the direction of the king out of fear of reprisal. They were essentially alone.

"I've ordered for you. I hope you don't mind," Daedalus casually spoke as he removed his hat and placed it on the table. At that moment, the owner arrived with two cups of tea and gave them one each. The owner quickly bowed and left, leaving the two alone again. Daedalus took a quick sip from his cup and gave off a happy hum of pleasure. "Ah, with a hint of honey. This is my daughter's favourite, you know?"

"I was not aware," replied Toxotis. "I've only met her once or twice."

"I imagine so. Despite being a celebrity now, she still likes to keep herself to herself." The conversation fell back into silence as both changelings took another sip of their tea. "We could just keep drinking like this. I would like that. The two of us just catching up as friends would. Sadly though, from what you've told me, that cannot be an option."

_I had a feeling you'd say that,_ Toxotis thought glumly.

"The last security threat we had to this hive was over six hundred years ago. Ever since then we have flourished with prosperity and peace. Being the eldest living monarch amongst my fellow kings and queens, I have garnered myself some measurement of respect from them over the years. At least, I would like to think so." The king took one more sip before getting to the point at hoof. "But now, after six hundred years, your relationship has opened up the biggest threat we've had in a long time."

"Please, let me ex—"

"YOU CAN EXPLAIN IN A MOMENT!" Daedalus closed his eyes in frustration and bit his tongue to keep himself quiet. His voice had been so loud that half the hive had heard the king explode in anger, but to what it actually was about they were clueless. He requested another cup of tea and the owner wasted no time in bringing it to him. Daedalus took another sip and waited for Toxotis to crawl out from under the table. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted. However, before we continue I must ask you this. Have you told Rainbow what you really are?"

"… Yes, she knows I'm a changeling."

"So tell me, then. Why could this be a risk to the hive? I mean, you're a smart changeling, I'm sure you can explain it to me." Toxotis gently lowered his cup and forced down a gulp as the gears in his head began to turn.

"Well… if Rainbow were to tell her friends and they reacted badly, they would likely inform the princesses of what was going on. Especially considering one of them is the personal student of Celestia, and the sister of a pony who had been brainwashed by a changeling over a period of at least three months. Since the princesses have declared war on our entire race, they would eventually find the hive located in the Everfree and destroy it and us."

"Granted that is the worst-case scenario but generally spot on." Daedalus rolled his shoulders and let out a long sigh. "So tell me this. Of all the mares in the world, why did you have to fall for the Element of Loyalty? I mean granted, she's hot, but—"

"SHE'S MINE! YOU CAN'T HAVE HER!" The outburst caught Daedalus off guard. He picked up his cane defensively, only to realise it was Toxotis he was talking to. Meanwhile, Toxotis was coming to the realisation that he had just barked at his ruler and put a hoof in his mouth. Daedalus put down his cane and put his claws up defensively.

"You're very protective of your marefriend, aren't you?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

"I-uh, what I… I'm so…"

"It's alright," he assured, "I'm not mad at you for snapping at me. Honestly, It showed me how you really feel for her. Why don't you drink some more tea and try to calm down? I think I could do with that as well."

Toxotis didn't need any more convincing. He graciously found solace in his cup and chugged it down till there was nothing left. Thinking of happy thoughts and fond memories helped to relax him slightly. Working his first case, meeting his mentor, finally talking to Rainbow, for a moment all his worries and fears had been dispelled. Daedelus just looked on and tried to rethink his position on the matter. He knew just from how the conversation had gone that Toxotis had not asked Rainbow not to reveal he was a changeling to her friends. It was a foolish move, but love could often make a changeling do stupid things. He theorised that Toxotis didn't want to seem too suspicious to Rainbow, but how he had revealed his identity to her and how she accepted it was a mystery to him.

"I've been in love myself, y'know," muttered the king, just loud enough for Toxotis to hear him. "I'm thinking about pursuing another again, actually. Strong mare, I've had a thing for them judging by my last wife. I've had many lovers, though. Many changelings, but I've been with a griffon and one or two ponies. What I've learned from that is love can be found in the most unlikely of places. I will tell you this now to put you out of your misery. I will not force you to end your relationship…"

"Oh, thank you, sir. I promise I'll…"

"… However, you must do one thing." Toxotis eagerly nodded, Toxotis nodded, not even caring what it was he had to do. He was merely relieved that Dash could still be his. "I want you to convince her to not reveal your identity, or our location to the rest of them." He put a clawed hand on his friend's shoulder and looked straight into his eyes. "I know it may be tough, but this is how it has to be for now. Perhaps one day you can tell them, but the wedding was too soon and fear and paranoia still run rampant in many."

"I understand. My life is yours, after all."

"Well, let's not get too dramatic with this. I mean it's been what? A couple of months now since you came to me all bloody and beaten." Daedalus could remember that day very well. He had been sitting in his throne as usual, when a group of guards brought to him a changeling from Chrysalis' invasion. They had not bothered to check his wounds or take him to a medic; they had thrown him at the clawed feet of Daedalus to receive immediate judgement for his crimes.

"I remember all too well. They found me on the edge of the Everfree, that's how far back I was thrown by…"

"… The power of love," Daedalus finished with a smirk. He pinched himself to keep himself from falling into another laughing fit while Toxotis gave him a deadpan look.

"Yeah… seems kind of silly when you say it out loud."

"The power of love is a mysterious thing. It can make a grown mare weep, and another mare sing…"

"If you start singing that song I will personally lead a revolution against you… Your Highness." Now it was Toxotis who was laughing, and the king wearing a look that simply said "_I am not amused._"

"I thought you liked my singing voice," Daedalus said darkly. His pouty look, though, was enough for Toxotis to tell the king was merely joking again.

"Correction, you think your singing voice is good when you're drunk. If you're singing some Flank Sinatra when you're sober, you are a wonderful singer, You Highness. However, when you're drunk is another story entirely. Besides which, I believe we're getting off topic." Toxotis got up from his seat and straightened his trusty fedora on his head. "You wish to know the whole story of how Dash and I got together, yes?"

"That could be helpful I suppose. I mean, it certainly couldn't hurt to know the full story."

"Then I give you permission to look into my memories." Royalty were much more powerful than the usual drones that inhabited the hive. One thing they could do with the hive mind was look into the memories of another. It was limited of course. They couldn't force their way in, and the changeling would have to let them in willingly first. They also had to be in close proximity, so it wasn't performed often. Only when important information had to be given and it was too dangerous to speak aloud. It also cut down time as a whole flurry of information would be in Daedalus' mind in a matter of moments.

"Are you sure, Toxotis? I will see everything you know about your time with her. Even the more… intimate moments you've both shared."

"I know. Perhaps it will put you at ease, though. Besides, I sure you won't see anything you haven't done yourself." Toxotis trotted straight up to the king, who was suppressing a chuckle. Toxotis presented his head by taking off his hat. "I can assure you I've never told her where the hive is and this will confirm it. I'm ready."

Daedalus let out a heavy sigh before weakly nodding. It had been a very long time since he had last performed this trick, and it wasn't a completely pleasant experience, even at the best of times. He got on one knee in front of his friend and placed a clawed hand on either side of Toxotis head. Daedalus closed his eyes and linked himself completely to the hive mind. He lost himself for a moment; the rush of information overwhelmed him, but he quickly regained control. He took another deep breath as he slowly joined his consciousness with Toxotis. Sudden impulses like a craving for jammy dodgers and a love of the rainbow sparked in the king's brain, but he shrugged them off as side effects.

"Toxotis, I want you to visualise a pathway. The path will begin with how this all started, meaning what led you to meeting Rainbow, and the path will finish when you began your trek here today. I will do the rest from there," assured Daedalus.

Toxotis knew exactly where this all started. It started with a little bit of help from an unlikely friend.

_"Thank you for everything, Question. It has been a pleasure." The blue pegasus nodded to the disguised changeling. Question Mark in turn shook the hoof of his newfound friend._

_"Before you and your company leave, Carnage, I want you to do me a favour." Carnage eyed Question suspiciously, but made no argument. "When your mission is over, I think you should pay a visit to your mother." Carnage felt a sudden desire to argue, but Question Mark wouldn't allow it. "I know your feelings for her, but since you're immortal, do you really think you can avoid her till the end of time? I made a grave mistake by allowing anger and hate to eat away at me. That was what convinced me to side with Chrysalis. Please, I don't want you to lose yourself also. You have to at least find some resolution."_

_Carnage looked over to where his team was standing. They seemed just out of earshot, but the topic itself often troubled him when others could hear. He stretched his wings out, desperately trying to find a counterargument, but came up with none. Question Mark smiled to himself, knowing that Carnage was always a stallion of his word._

_"Alright, I will on one condition. You have to ask that Rainbow Dash out," Carnage proposed with a smirk. Question's eyes went as wide as dinner plates and he suddenly felt his throat dry up. "We both know you like her, you've said so yourself. So let's come to an agreement. I swear to face my mother, if you swear to confess your attraction to the Element of Loyalty. Deal?"_

_"… Deal!"_

Daedalus couldn't help but smile to himself as the memories continued to flow into him and spin their grand old tale.

* * *

The only thing that prevented Rainbow Dash from flying forward and smacking Twilight in the face was a single thought that kept repeating over and over inside her head. Twilight was her friend. She kept glaring though, as Twilight continued to cower at the sight of Rainbow. It was almost laughable that arguably the most powerful unicorn alive today was trying to hide from a mere pegasus. Rainbow wasn't just a pegasus though, she was the Element of Loyalty.

She knew how important and how complicated true loyalty was. Ponies often thought it was as simple as sticking by your loved ones and supporting them. To follow them to wherever they may go. The reality was that sometimes it required you to simply say no. To tell a pony you love that they've gone or are going to go too far. To let them down easy, and on rare occasions, to hurt them to help them. Loyalty was far more complicated than most ever considered, and it wasn't until you found yourself in one of those situations did you begin to truly understand what loyalty really was. Looking out for your friends, and sometimes making the hard decisions for them.

Twilight had struck her, and ordinarily, Rainbow would have retaliated. She was her friend though, and although a good smack might do Twilight some good, it would have likely only served to antagonise both mares. Rainbow began to fly down to her friends while Pinkie had pulled out a bag of popcorn from seemingly nowhere.

"Sugarcube, what are ya doin'?" asked Applejack.

"If Twi and Dashie are gonna fight, then I'm gonna be ready." She then put on a T-shirt that simply said "_Team Dashie!_" The dot above the I was a heart. "Go, Dashie, go!"

"Honestly, darling, the last thing we should be doing is taking sid—" Rarity stopped when she noticed Fluttershy was also wearing a shirt labelled with "_Team Dashie!_" on the front. "Really, Fluttershy?" Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow.

Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane. "Pinkie put it on me," she said quietly. "… Also, I like the design." Rarity would have rolled her eyes, but the inevitable confrontation drew her attention back along with the rest of the mares'. Spike was too busy helping himself to Pinkie's popcorn.

Twilight and Rainbow were snout to snout now as the unicorn's eyes began to falter again. She struggled to look at Rainbow directly, hoping that she could crawl up into a hole and simply die there. Rainbow wouldn't have that though, and used her right hoof to bring Twilight eye level again. Applejack was at the ready to break up the fight any second, and Rarity was regretting not bringing her fainting couch with her. Rainbow took one last breath of air, and let out a short sigh.

"Why'd ya do it, Twi?" The question was much simpler than Twilight expected. In fact, a question was the last thing she suspected. Angry words and possible slaps had been much more likely in her mind. Due to the suddenness, she fumbled for an answer, but Pinkie was more than happy to answer as she jumped up in the air and waved a hoof fanatically.

"Oh, I know, I know! You we're telling us that you were having super-hot make-out sessions with a changeling, and Twilight got all xenophobic on your flank and zapped your head," Pinkie said with an innocent grin. Both Rainbow and Twilight had gone red in the face. One of them from embarrassment, and the other from anger.

"I am not xenophobic, Pinkie!" shouted Twilight. "I made a heat-of-the-moment decision based upon the information known about the changeling race. I will acknowledge that it may have not been the wisest course of action in hindsight, but I… I was scared, okay? I was scared."

Something about that last sentence made Rainbow's nostrils flare, and she found her voice rising. "Scared!? What the heck do you have to be scared of?"

"I was scared for you. I thought I'd lost you!" Twilight shot back, forcing down a sob in the process. "Changelings have shown themselves as nothing but manipulative and deceptive. They steal love, for goodness' sake! Knowing what they did to my brother and the months of psychiatric tests he still has to go through, I couldn't bear the idea of that happening to you as well."

Applejack had seen enough and forced herself between the two mares. "Both of y'all lay off now," she said with a firm stomp. "I won't see you two go at it for no good reason. We need answers."

"Thank you, Applejack," agreed Rarity. "Twilight, you must apologise straight away for what you did to Rainbow."

There was a short pause. Not because Twilight didn't want to say she was sorry, but simply because she wished to compose herself for what would come next. "Rainbow, I am so sorry. I overcharged my mind-clearing spell and you got hurt because of it. For that, I hope you can forgive me," she said with sincerity. Before Rainbow could accept, Twilight continued. "However, we need to settle this business over your affiliation with an enemy of Equestria. I've got an idea though. You'll lead us and the guard to the _changeling_, and I will speak to Celestia on your behalf so you won't…"

"Buck off, Twilight." Twilight's eyes opened wide. Rainbow didn't shout, her words didn't need volume as she simply told her friend to… well… get lost, as it were. Rarity would have fainted, but even she thought that would be overdoing it today.

"I-I beg your pardon!?" cried Twilight.

"You heard me, buck off! You don't know anything Twi. I bet you still think he manipulated me somehow, don't ya? That he wooed me and seduced me or some crap like that. Well, I want you to listen and listen good. I CAME ON TO HIM!"

That time, Rarity did faint. Fluttershy and Pinkie looked ready to burst into glee, while Applejack looked more confused than the time Apple Bloom came home with a cart that transformed into a robot and asked if she could keep it. That had been a weird day. Meanwhile, Twilight was screaming internally. Her brain and sanity were in tatters, and then she fell onto her rump in defeat. Her friend had willingly started a romantic relationship with a changeling. Twilight was questioning if it was all her fault, like Rainbow was punishing her for something.

"Um, can I say something?" Due to the deathly silence that had followed Rainbow's outburst, Fluttershy's quiet voice could be clearly heard. All eyes turned towards her, Twilight's desperately searching for answers to this insanity. "Maybe Rainbow should explain to us how she met this changeling. This might help clear any confusion, and then we can all make a fair and balanced decision on what to do next."

The logic was very sound, and it was refreshing to Twilight to hear a sane opinion on the matter. Twilight's brain overload prevented her from replying though, she didn't even put up a fight when she felt herself get dragged onto a seat. When reality had caught up to her, she found herself sitting on a stool between four of her friends. Rainbow Dash had been placed just in front of them by Pinkie. In an effort to get everypony more relaxed, Pinkie had brought more popcorn to share. Spike grumbled about not getting a seat, when Pinkie exploded with enthusiasm.

"Alright, story time! C'mon, Dashie, I'm so excited to throw you that 'super cute couple' party!" Rainbow Dash sighed at the sight of her friends (most of which were fully conscious) and saw no real reason to delay the inevitable.

"Okay, this all started four weeks ago. One Saturday night at the bar…"

* * *

**So now we will find out how these two unlikely lovers ended up together. Will it be awesome? Will it romantic? Will Daedalus start singing? Find out next chapter. I just want to say that thins chapter would have never been done this quickly if not for all your support and love for this story. On a side note, I'm giving Equestria Daily a shot after a few recommendations. Wish me luck. And another thank you to my editors.**

**- Infinite**

**Also, I have good news. I'm now uploading the League of Extraordinary Ponies. The story that you're reading now, is a spin-off from that story. You don't need to read it, but if you like this story, I think you'll like that one too. So head on over to my profile page and the story should be in the list.**


	5. Uptown Mare

All around him, there was only white. Daedalus crept on the transparent surface, carefully making sure he was heading in the right direction. If he squinted, he could barely make out very light grey objects moving around the nexus of information. Numbers, letters, and unreadable symbols spun around each other in an infinite circle that seemed to have no end. They fell forward into the infinite abyss before the changeling king. Daedalus was definitely on the right track though; he could feel it in his old bones.

"Huh, the first monarch who did this must have crapped himself when he found this place," he said aloud. Daedalus often talked to himself; when a guard overheard him and asked why he did this, he always replied, "I don't like listening to silence. It never has anything interesting to say."

Daedalus wasn't simply in Toxotis' mind. He was in an endless realm of boredom and unlimited excitement, all at the same time. It was a place where one could see the darkest secrets and most joyful moments of any being that had ever lived. This was the full reach of the hive mind. Of course, someone would need a pathway to find anything in this place. That was why Daedalus needed Toxotis to let him in, otherwise he'd never find his way to what he needed to see. The pathway Toxotis had provided was crude, but it would have to do. In truth, Daedalus hadn't expected much, but he would've liked a pathway he could see. The hive mind was so much more expansive than anyling or anypony would ever be able to fathom. Although it was widely believed that only changelings were connected to what they called the hive mind, in reality, every living thing had a connection to it. Most, though, never realised it, or were never able to use it. The hive mind was a pocket universe created by thoughts, ideas, hopes, fears and dreams.

The changeling race had evolved with the hive mind and had gained the ability to use it to their advantage. While all changelings could communicate without vocalization, it was commonly used in places of business, rather than everyday life. Of course, there were military advantages to this as well; however changelings had always been more equipped for stealth and espionage than battle. A changeling's magic was commonly weaker than a unicorn's, but an influx of love could increase their magical potency. Daedalus had theorised that Celestia, a being more powerful than himself and his entire hive, had only been beaten by the element of surprise and the amount of love inside Chrysalis back at the Canterlot invasion. Otherwise, Chrysalis would have been splattered like a bug, literally. Daedalus focused back on the path ahead.

"Now it would appear that he's leading me to his very first meeting with Rainbow. By the gods, I love and hate this place." He looked around the area again, a hint of wonder in his eyes. "With this, I could even see into the memories of those long passed,I would just need a descendant. I'd better not see any assassins again, or I swear I'll…" Daedalus went quiet when he spotted a door at the end of the path.

It was wooden, with a brass knob. In big bold letters, 'The Bar' was written on the top of the door. With no other exit in sight, Daedalus approached the small wooden door and looked for any other details the might aid him. He came to the conclusion that this must be where he was supposed to go. So without further ado, Daedalus turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. He was then surrounded by a blinding light as he stepped through.

* * *

The light disappeared as quickly as it came, and Daedalus found himself in a place he had not been to in a very long time: a bar. It was small in size, and very rustic, but Daedalus was quite big, so he attributed it to the fact that it was built for creatures much smaller than him. There were very few patrons in the building, and the bartender seemed content with cleaning glasses until a new order came. The floor and the bar table were made of wood, but the seating was made of specially developed cloud so that any type of pony could sit on them.

The full extent of what the hive mind could create was before the king. Toxotis wasn't in the room yet, and knowing what he was like, this was certainly a onetime visit. All of this had been created so perfectly because of everypony present that day. From the squeaky floorboards, to the clinking of glasses, and even the music playing on the broken down jukebox, the room had been recreated thanks to the subconscious memories of everypony who had visited that day. That was the potential of the hive mind. The other ponies didn't even know they were recreating this memory, but they were, as their subconscious was happily feeding the info required to the catalyst, Toxotis. Daedalus couldn't help but take a moment to appreciate what he was seeing. His eyes drifted off to one of the mares sitting alone on a barstool. Her rainbow mane and healthy physique were eye-catching, so it confused the king greatly as to why she was alone.

It then struck him who she was, Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty herself. He let off a cheeky whistle as he took a peek at her flank. "You've done well for yourself, Toxotis," he muttered to himself. There was a perverse pleasure in knowing that these were only memories. What was annoying to the king, was that he couldn't interact or mess with anything, but the upside was that he could go anywhere and do whatever he wanted within reason. He tested this by walking through a departing patron like a ghost, but the pony didn't even react, as Daedalus was nothing but an observer. Looking at the time, Daedalus noted it was close to midnight, and began to wonder what brought Rainbow Dash there so late. She seemed very depressed. She wore a large frown and occasionally took a gulp of her hard cider.

Daedalus would have taken a seat next to her, but he would have just fallen through it. He found a pang of sympathy go out to her, as he could tell she was very lonely, a feeling he sometimes felt from wives. However, something else began to catch his attention. The rusty old jukebox across the room started to change its song, and a new harmony began to lightly fill the sombre atmosphere. Daedalus recognised it almost immediately.

"Wait, that song…"

_Uptown mare;_

_She's been living in her uptown world._

_I bet she's never had a backstreet guy;_

_I bet her mama never told her why._

"I LOVE THIS SONG!" Before he knew it, the King was moving his feet to the music.

_And when she knows what she wants from her type;_

_And when she wakes up and makes up her mind._

"She'll see I'm not so tough, just because, I'm in love with an uptown mare." Daedalus had totally forgotten why he was here. The sweet call of music had taken him over and nothing could stop him from shaking his stuff. His feet moved in all directions as he spun around in time to the beat. Having perfected river dance, tap dancing and, most recently, breakdancing, the king was no slouch when it came to showing his moves. Daedalus lamented the fact that nopony could appreciate his talent. He looked at his side, wondering what his cutie mark would have been. _Something in dance_, he thought. Daedalus froze when he saw somepony else enter the bar, or rather, someling.

Toxotis, or as he was known in his pony form, Question Mark, gingerly walked inside the bar. His shifty eyes and cautious steps were a sign that he was suspicious, or entering an unknown environment, and Daedalus would put money on it being the latter. Question looked over to where Rainbow was sitting, but Rainbow was too absorbed in her cider to take notice of the stallion. Question looked over his surroundings again, and noted the bathroom doors to the side. He quickly made his way over, with Daedalus in following behind.

Question Mark practically leapt in, while Daedalus casually walked through the door. The bathroom had seen better days. The pristine white had been edged away, and in its place were browns and greens and other colours that Daedalus could only shudder to guess their origins. Random graffiti marked the walls. Poorly written jokes probably thought up during a drunken stupor, fake phone numbers asking ponies if they 'wanted a good time' and sheer vulgarities were plastered everywhere. Question was at one of the sinks, using the (hopefully) clean water to wash his face and try to rid himself of his panic.

Daedalus wished he could place a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder, and tell him that he could do it. Alas, these were only memories, and he would have to watch his friend go through this alone. Question finished washing his face, and through his harsh breathing, looked at himself in the mirror. Staring back at him was a stallion with a 'snow white' coat, and a mane that was as black as coal. His cutie mark was a magnifying glass, and his irises were emerald green. His coat was such a contrast that he often stuck out, much like the mare of his affections' mane. His small crush had grown to near obsession now, and because he made a promise, he would have to go out there and at least talk to her. He made sure his fedora was on straight, and was now regretting not bringing a tie.

_Maybe it was a bit too much_, he thought. _Still, I looked nice with a tie. Maybe she'll think I'm… no, she seems to be the more carefree type. The tie would make me look like a stiff. Or maybe… UGH!_ He shook his head and turned the tap on again, splashing more water on his muzzle. He let out a large sigh as he turned the faucet off and took one more look into the mirror. _Why does she have to be so beautiful? Why a pony of all creatures!?_

He had first seen her on his first day coming to town, a couple of days after Daedalus commanded him to seek his redemption by helping those he had wronged. He couldn't face Canterlot or Trottingham again, so he chose Ponyville. That way he could be caught easier. At the time, there was a part of him that wanted to crawl up into a hole and die, to end his miserable existence. Also, it was close to his hive, so he could always deliver his report to Daedalus easily. On the way to town though, he spied a rainbow-maned pegasus flying over an empty field. It was only for a few seconds, but his brain couldn't help but register her beauty. Of course, the moment passed, and Question totally forgot about her until his welcome party.

Ponyville tradition dictated that when a new pony moved to the town, Pinkie would throw them a welcoming party. Question had put up little fight in the matter, and saw it as a way to help him blend in more with the townsfolk, so he allowed it to continue. He introduced himself to the town and explained his occupation as a private detective. What kept catching his eye at the party though was her. Rainbow Dash. He recognized her then as the Element of Loyalty. They talked for a very short time, but in that time he could tell she was a fun, if not boisterous, mare. She had big dreams, and the means to obtain them if the stories were to be believed. From that point on, he was smitten.

After that day, he never spoke to her again. Work kept him preoccupied, and as time passed, he became a friendly face around town. After a year of turmoil, in only a few short months, he had finally found some semblance of peace. For some reason, though, she refused to leave his thoughts. As the days passed, more and more often he'd spot her soaring through the air, or among her friends. Question had made a point to keep his distance from the Elements, but something kept drawing him to Dash. Finally, after a talk with Carnage, he promised he would at least talk to her. He didn't really know what to expect, he just hoped he wouldn't make a complete fool of himself tonight. For the tiniest moment, he let his disguise drop, revealing his changeling form. As quickly as it appeared, he changed back and walked out of the bathroom, with Daedalus following closely.

Dash was still drinking alone, not paying attention to anypony else in the room. This relieved Question slightly as he made his approach, ignoring the other drunk patrons in the bleak bar. Daedalus put everything out of his mind; despite the jukebox playing "Shoot to Thrill," he refused to ignore his friend's story. He knew Question could do it, he already had, but something made him doubt this would be the usual romance story. Question reached a stool next to Rainbow Dash and took a seat.

Silence followed.

Question knew this wasn't a good sign, but the bartender's approach gave him reason to speak. "Whisky, please." The bartender nodded and got to work on a drink. Silence fell again until the drink was placed in front of Question, and the bartender returned to cleaning glasses. He cleared his throat, gently catching Rainbow's attention. She turned an eye to him, sizing up the smallish stallion that she didn't recognise at first glance. When Rainbow didn't say anything, Question decided to break the ice. "H-hello there," he said nervously.

"What do you want?" Dash asked, not used to strangers approaching her while she was drinking. A new song began to play, and Daedalus found his foot instinctively step to the beat.

_To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day._

_Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say._

_No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip;_

_For the stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip._

_Big iron on his hip._

"I-I'm so-sorry. You probably don't remember me, but we've met before. My name is Question Mark."

Rainbow narrowed her eyes, and in a flash, she remembered. "Oh, yeah. You're that detective who moved here a while back. What's up?" she said, a bit friendlier.

"Oh… um, I'm fine I suppose, just thought I'd have a drink."

"Bad memories, huh?" Question was taken aback by this, but he assumed she was speaking from experience. He shuffled in his seat, trying to think of a response.

"I suppose you could say that. It will be the anniversary of a… well, dark part of my life I suppose you could say, very soon. That's not why I came to talk to you though." He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling a little parched. He avoided taking a drink of his whisky, though; he could be a bit of a lightweight when it came to alcohol. "I was wondering why a mare such as yourself is sitting here drinking alone?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Question instantly regretted saying them. Rainbow's face morphed into a venomous glare that cut straight through the stallion. Daedalus made an 'eep'-like sound as he took a few steps backwards, waiting to see what would happen next. "What do you mean, "a mare like me"?"

"Oh—uh, well I…" Knowing he may be on the verge of having his flank kicked, Question opted for honesty. "I mean… a mare as beautiful as you. I just thought it was odd that you were on your own is all."

The harsh gaze Rainbow wore immediately softened when she realised he wasn't joking. Then her cheeks began to feel a little hotter. She looked forward, avoiding eye contact as she mumbled, "You serious?"

"Of course, I don't lie."

"How do I believe that?"

"I'm a detective, I always seek the truth."

"That's an egghead job."

"Egghead?"

"Yeah, egghead. For super smart ponies. Being a detective sounds boring."

"I can assure you, it isn't. It certainly isn't easy. Why on earth do you think it's boring?"

"Duh, it means thinking all the time and just looking at crime scenes. You don't actually catch the bad guy." Dash's embarrassment had melted away, and the two ponies had flowed into a natural conversation.

"When you say catch the criminal, if you mean me physically apprehending criminals, then I have done that as well."

"Really!? That's kind of cool, I guess. Have you caught any killers?"

"… Yes, but I take little pride in throwing anypony in prison. One in particular was… well…"

"Yeah, go on." Question now had Rainbow Dash's full attention, but despite that, he was afraid the subject matter wasn't exactly romantic. Despite this, he had no reason not to tell her, so he fully turned towards her and told her a story.

"A while back, I was working in Trottingham. The son of this rich bureaucrat was murdered, and his dad wanted to help the police track down the ponies that killed his only son. I accepted of course, and went straight to work. That was the case where I almost let the killers go."

Rainbow Dash nearly spat out her drink, while Daedalus had to do a double take to see if he had heard correctly. "You never told me that," the king said aloud, almost expecting a response. Dash looked at Question as if he was insane; looking over him properly, she could tell he was a neat stallion, and looked quite handsome too, especially with his hat. She wasn't thinking about that though, she was wondering what would make him almost let murderers get away with their crime.

"But you're a detective. Why would you let them get away with it?"

"I met this blue stallion recently; you might have met him in fact, as he left only the other day, but he told me once that there is no black and white, only many shades of grey. Do you know what I mean?"

"Uh, yeah," she said, nodding weakly. "Course I do. I mean, who wouldn't?"

"… You have no idea what that means, do you?"

Rainbow folded her forelegs and pouted. "Alright smartass, what does it mean?"

"Well, basically, it means there really is no basic form of good and evil. That ponies' motivations are far more complicated than that. Like if somepony gives to charity, are they doing it because they want to help others? Or are they doing it just to feel better about themselves? When somepony mugs another, are they doing it to be malicious and greedy? Or are they so desperate to feed their family that they'll do anything to make sure they're well-fed? Honestly, I used to buy into the whole good and evil thing, but this case and my mentor kind of opened my eyes."

"I guess I kinda get what you're saying," Dash said while staring into her mug. "I mean, Nightmare Moon just wanted ponies to appreciate what she did, she wasn't a bad pony. Heck, the princess is like my friend now. But I gotta know, what happened with your case?" Daedalus chuckled a little when he realised how entranced Dash was with the story. He was curious himself though, so he made a point to stand as close as possible, almost walking through the pair.

"I won't bore you with the details," Question said, "but the trail led me to this flower shop. It was run by this mare with her two sons and her daughter. I discovered after some interviews and putting the evidence together, specifically hoof prints on the murder weapons, that the two brothers were the killers. Their motive, though, was the thing that got me."

"You mean, why they did it?"

"Yes, their sister had an encounter with the murder victim. In short, she was raped by him."

"Whu—" Dash's jaw nearly hit the floor when Question spoke his last line. She was thankful she wasn't drinking her cider at the time. How blunt he had been about this told her he had experienced stuff like that before. It had almost become routine to Question, hearing depressing talks of sons and daughters cruelly taken from their families, innocence stolen away, and the worst of ponykind in general.

"She attempted to press charges, but the case was doomed from the start. The mother had paid off the jury for an easy innocent verdict, despite the compelling evidence. The father seemed to truly believe his son was innocent, despite his son's less than clean record. In any event, the rapist was found innocent."

"How do you know all that?" Dash took the words right out of Daedalus' mouth. The king could only wonder why Question had never told him this before.

"When I came to the conclusion of who murdered him, I wanted to back up the motivation before telling anypony. I looked through his files, and incidentally, a friend gave me something she told me I should see. They were bank transactions from his mother to multiple different ponies days before the trial. All of those ponies were on the jury for the rape case. It pretty much guaranteed that the son did it, giving a definitive motive to the brothers. Then I realised something… all I had to do was contaminate the hoof prints, and the case would have never stood in court. They would have a motive, but no hard evidence."

"Y-you nearly did that?"

"… I did, didn't I? Just a heat-of-the-moment thing, I suppose. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, as they say. I thought I had learned that lesson that day, but I guess I still had more growing up to do." Rainbow cocked an eyebrow, and Question realised he was rambling. "Th-the point is I didn't do it. Murder is murder, no matter the justification. The family was distraught and the brothers got a long sentence, just narrowly missing life imprisonment. It wasn't easy looking at the mother after that."

Rainbow let out a large sigh. "I thought I had problems. Mine don't seem as big of a deal now. I guess being a detective isn't as boring as I thought."

"Well, I imagine being a detective pales in comparison to being the Element of Loyalty."

Dash puffed out her chest slightly and made an exaggerated pose. "Yeah, ya got that right. Discord, Nightmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, they ain't got nothing on me. But my problems don't have anything to do with that. It's 'cause… wait, why the heck am I telling you all this?"

Question paused for a moment, before flashing her a smile. "Maybe it feels good to get it off your chest. Is it something you've dealt with for a long time?"

"Yeah, I have actually. It's just… it's… everypony thinks I'm gay."

"I think I heard a song about that."

"That's it? You're not going to ask if it's true?"

"I'm guessing that isn't the case, considering how upset you seem to be about these rumors." Rainbow nodded. "Well, since I told you a story, you might as well tell me one." Dash shrugged and began.

"It started after I did the sonic rainboom for the first time. You hear about that?"

"Who hasn't? When you did it in front of all the press the second time, all of Equestria and beyond were talking about it. I would have made you a Wonderbolt on the spot." Dash blushed again and instinctively turned away. She was confused as to why praise from this stallion was making her blush so much. Normally it just fed her ego, but here, she felt funny inside. Daedalus noticed the red cheeks and cracked a knowing smile.

"Uh, anyway, these jerks at the school got really jealous and started making up crap about me. The rumor that got around was that I was into mares and well… it just never really went away. I still get ponies saying stuff like that about me. Not mean stuff, they just assume I am."

"I guess that would be rather frustrating," cut in Question. "But was it all out of jealousy?"

"They always see the rainbow mane, and when they find out I'm athletic, they immediately guess that I like mares."

Question sat there for a moment, gazing into his whisky before gulping it down. This action was so sudden that Rainbow was caught off guard when he slammed it back down. "Typical, really. The whole stereotype of athletic mares being gay was started because males feel their masculinity is threatened by somepony who can fight back. They can't handle somepony as tough as them, and would rather have a lover with a softer touch. It's subconscious really, but it's there. They call strong mares gay as a way of satisfying themselves and knocking down the women that threaten them. It's commonly how most stereotypes are started. It's not your fault of course, but I chalk it up to being beaten by a mare. They were scared of you, Rainbow. They felt inferior, they felt like crap, so like most bullies, they try to put down others to make themselves feel better."

Rainbow just stared at him wide-eyed. She took another swig of her drink while thinking of what to say. "… Did you get all that just from my story?"

"If what you told me is true, then yes. It's the most logical theory anyway. I mean… you're very beautiful, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before a stallion asks you out."

Again, Rainbow blushed. "Well, uh, that's not likely since I've lived here a while now, and still no date. I don't think anypony will."

"… I will."

"What?" Dash's neck snapped towards Question, as he looked as serious as possible.

"Um, sorry, I'm not very good at this. Will you go on a date with me?"

"YES!" Daedalus screamed in victory. "Get in there, Question. You, my friend, are about to get yourself some pu—"

"Are you bucking with me?"

"… Or maybe you're not. That was a bit of a misfire apparently."

Rainbow was eyeing Question over again, but this time with added ferocity and suspicion. Question could feel beads of sweat start to leak from his forehead, confused as to what he had done wrong. Everypony else in the bar was too hammered to notice, but this didn't make the detective feel any better. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Is it pity you're giving me?" she pressed. "Or did you just think it would be funny to mess with me a little?"

"What? No! I'm being serious. Look, I'll be blunt. I like you. I think you're beautiful and I've wanted to talk to you for the longest time, but I haven't had the courage until tonight. I just spent ten minutes in the bathroom trying to work up the nerve to even speak to you. So, will you go out with me?"

"…"

"…"

"… Okay." Both Daedalus and Question let out a sigh of relief when that word left Rainbow's mouth. Rainbow's face was still stern though, and she kept her eyes locked on Question. "There's this place a friend of mine likes. This is the deal. If you're serious, then meet me there at seven exactly. If you're even a second late, I'm taking off, got that?"

"Yes, ma'am," Question said, giving her a salute that he quickly put down. His cheeks went slightly red.

"Good, it's called the Grassy Knoll. Y'know it?"

"Yes, I've passed it a few times."

"Good, see ya tomorrow then." Dash didn't wait for a response as she took off and zoomed out of the bar, waking up a sleeping patron in the process. Question was left sitting there, but slowly, a relieved smile crossed his face as he ordered a celebratory drink. Daedalus then heard a small sound from outside. Curious, he stepped through the wall to find Rainbow Dash on the other side, hopping about like a madmare. All the while, she kept chanting the same words.

"OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!"

She then took off upwards as Daedalus broke out into joyous laughter. His deep chuckle would have been heard by all, if it were not a memory gone by. Then, without warning, Daedalus was surrounded by a bright light and everything before him disappeared.

* * *

**I put links to the songs used in the lyrics.**

**So, a good number of you might be able to guess what was the inspiration for how the hive mind works. Although the main plot for Assassin's Creed has always been a bit dodgy, I love the concept for the animus. Persona 4 also played a part in this though. A alternate realm where all the memories of those whoever lived reside, and the changelings are the only ones who can use it. This way, we can follow both Question's and Rainbow's perspective without having to cut back to rainbow telling the story to her friends. I may still do that to gauge reactions, but nothing more.**

**I had a little trouble writing their first encounter, and I tried to keep Rainbow in character. Do let me know if I succeeded. From this point onwards, we will be following their relationship over four weeks until the present day. I now know how this story will end too which is nice. For those who don't know, I was originally doing this as an experiment and it has expanded into something much bigger than I could have predicted. I didn't really have a full plot set up until a month ago. Relax though, I promise you wont be disappointed.**

**One more thing, were close to 2000 favourites and I am totally ready for the celebration ;) I hope you enjoy the early Christmas present. Happy holidays to everyone.**

**- Infinite**


End file.
